


Learning to Live

by Rekall



Category: X-23 (Comic)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Murder, Partying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-24
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 20:08:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1098099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rekall/pseuds/Rekall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jubilee insists on celebrating Laura's birthday by going to New Orleans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learning to Live

**Author's Note:**

  * For [walkthegale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/walkthegale/gifts).



"Happy be-lated Birthday," Jubilee said as she handed the small wrapped box to a confused Laura.

"Its not my birthday."

Jubilee laughed. "That's why I said 'be-lated'. Gambit told me I missed your birthday. You should have said something."

"But I do not have a . . ." 

"Just accept the present, X."

Laura wanted to continue to protest. She didn't have a birthday. They never bothered to give her one. Birthdays were things not important when training a killer. Still though, it wasn't Jubilee's fault. Gambit was the one who first insisted she have a birthday. It ended badly and Laura had tried forgetting about it until Jubilee unexpectedly showed up with a present.

With a sigh, Laura carefully began to unwrap the box. As the paper fell to the ground, she opened the lid of the box and pulled out a necklace of plastic beads. "Thank you, but I do not understand."

"I wanted to get you a silver cross or something like that since I know you like that kind of stuff, but with my condition it was too difficult." Jubilee's grin grew as she talked which only worried Laura. "Instead I decided the next best thing would be if we went on a trip together to New Orleans."

* * *

"Isn't this great?" Jubilee yelled to Laura over the noise of the crowd. 

"I guess," Laura replied. She didn't know what was so special about the event. It was a bunch of loud music and yelling as brightly coloured parade floats went by while beads were being thrown everywhere. It wasn't her idea of fun at all.

"Enjoy yourself," Jubilee said as she placed a necklace of beads around Laura's neck. 

"I do not know how." Partying was out of her league.

Jubilee thought about it for a minute. "Try and collect as many beads as possible. Think of it as a challenge."

"Will it make you happy?"

Jubilee laughed. "Yes."

"Then I will do it."

Laura focused on the parade in front of her. It was a more difficult task than she would have liked. It was hard blocking out the noise and the smell of alcohol. It was a lot for her advanced senses to take.

Beads were flung from the parade floats towards her direction. Zeroing on the beads, Laura leaped and snagged two necklaces. She placed around her neck like Jubilee had done before setting her sights on her next target. 

It was hard moving among the crowd. Laura would have liked to have gone back to the hotel where it was hopefully quieter but she wasn't even sure that would be possible as it seemed like the whole city was celebrating. There was however another reason why she decided to stay despite the uncomfortableness. Jubilee was having fun and Laura wanted that to continue. Laura knew all too well what it was like to be a killer and keep those urges at bay. Jubilee deserved to have fun whenever she got the chance.

After feeling like she had collected enough beads, Laura returned to Jubilee who had caught some of her own. Jubilee was clearly having fun which put a smile on Laura's face. She was happy that Jubilee was happy. 

"See!" Jubilee said when she saw all the beads Laura had. "Wasn't that fun?"

"Yes," Laura admitted, not admitting the part that really made her happy. Plastic beads could be found anywhere. Jubilee's fun however could not. 

It was then that everything changed. Jubilee grew quiet and a lustful look appeared on her face. Laura could tell what was wrong. She could smell it too. Fresh blood. And there was a lot of it.

"You need to focus," Laura said, taking charge of the situation. "Do not give in."

Jubilee closed her eyes and shook her head. "Right, I got it. I'm okay now."

"We should leave."

"No. Something happened. We need to find out what."

Laura knew that Jubilee was right. With all the partying no one else would notice anything amiss until it was too late. It might already be too late. The fact smell was noticeable over the smell of alcohol meant a large quantity already had been spilt, but it was possible the person was still alive. It was a small chance, but one they had to gamble on.

They followed the smell of blood away from the parade. They didn't have to go far. The music continued to be loudly heard in the background when they found themselves in an alley with a young woman laying on the ground in front of them. A small pool of blood poured from her body. 

"She's dead," Jubilee said as she crouched down next to the woman. Laura didn't know why she bothered to check. The alley was full of the smell of death.

"The scent of blood continues," Laura said as she looked around. "The killer got some on him."

Jubilee stood with a new determination in her eyes. "Let's find him."

They took to the rooftops where it was easier to travel at faster speeds, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. They were closing in on the killer. The smell of blood was becoming stronger. He was on the run but he wouldn't be able to escape them. 

When they finally spotted him, Laura ran ahead and dropped in front of him while Jubilee blocked his rear. A bloodied knife was in his hands, which he held up in a threatening manner for Laura to see. It was almost comical. Another in Laura's position likely would have laughed. 

"Do not mess with me, girly."

"Why?" Laura demanded, while keeping her anger in check. "What did she do to you?"

The man laughed. "Nothing. Just like the others."

He lunged at Laura, but he was way too slow for her reflexes. There was a snikt as her claws popped out and the look on the man's face changed from cockiness to shocked horror. He began to scream and turned to fled but Laura wasn't going to let him get away. She didn't hold back as she jabbed her claws into his side and quickly retracted them.

"You will live," Laura said as the man fell to the ground in agony. It was tempting to kill him, but that was more than he deserved. "It is more than you deserve."

"And thanks to a handy tip to the cops, they'll soon be here to pick you up," Jubilee said while holding up her cellphone to show it to the man.

"We will be watching to make sure you do not get," Laura added. There was fear in his eyes and Laura knew he wouldn't even attempt it.

They returned to the roof and sure enough a few moments later sirens were heard as the cops arrived to haul the man away. They waited until the cops surrounded him before moving away. They didn't need to be there when the man began babbling to them about mutants.

"You did good, X," Jubilee said once they were a few blocks away.

"I wanted to kill him." The urge had been overwhelming. She wanted him to feel the same fear and pain as his victims did. 

"But you didn't."

"Neither did you."

"Yeah," Jubilee gave a nervous chuckle, "but I also kind of wanted to do it."

"We are killers," Laura said as she paused to watch police cars an ambulance drive by, taking the man to the hospital where he would then be arrested after his life was saved. "But we do not wish to kill."

"We just need to figure out something else to do with our time."

Laura fingered the beads still around her neck. "We should go back. You were enjoying it."

"Only if you want too," Jubilee said as she placed an arm around Laura's shoulders. "It's more fun when we're both enjoying things."

Laura wasn't going to argue with her on that. It was tempting to suggest that they do something else. But then she remembered how happy Jubilee had been. She wanted that happiness to continue. "Let's go back. We can get more beads."

"We'll send some to Gambit. Make him wish he was here with us."

Laura smiled. That sounded like a good idea.


End file.
